Jon Silberman
04-23-2005, 12:31 PM
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682310/2949318/94025689.jpg
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682310/2949318/94025727.jpg
Yesterday, Phil Jacoby installed my new Harmonic Design Z90s in my Reverend Rocco. He also replaced the stock 3-way switch with a 4-way to add both PUPs in series, rewired the first of the two mini-toggles (used previously as coil taps on the stock ‘buckers) as a phase switch and the second as a blower (volume and tone pot bypass). Finally, he replaced the stock pots and cap with CTS pots (500K as Petersen recommends for the Z90s) and a vintage old oil-filled 22 mfd cap leftover from some work he did on someone’s old Les Paul.
Everything works as advertised, resulting in an extremely versatile axe with an array of excellent tones to choose from. Phil was especially impressed overall with the Rocco’s resonance and playability. In his words, “One thing you have to say about that Joe Naylor is he knows what he’s doing with his guitars!”
A few more of my observations.
1. The moniker “Z90” is a misnomer. The are not, as others have stressed, voiced as true P90s but are their own beast. I’d call ‘em the ballsiest, grindiest Strat-style PUPs I’ve ever played. They have the distinct single coil flavor with extra highs and big lows and a bit more mids, too, but never so much as to overwhelm the PUPs’ flavor into ‘bucker or even P90 territory.
2. They sound great together in parallel (not all single coils do).
3. They sound fat indeed but somewhat muffled in series. However, with the blower switch engaged, the highs lost by running the PUPs in series are magically restored resulting in an excellent, alternative humbucker-like tone - very usable!
4. The PUPs sound remarkably good out of phase, though of course you lose a bunch of volume (as expected). The PUPs in parallel out of phase sound almost “quacky.” Series out of phase is a bit thicker and treblier - not as pleasing to my ear. It also isn’t nearly as much louder in series out of phase relative to both PUPs in parallel out of phase as both PUPs series in phase are to both PUPs in parallel in phase (I have no idea why this is so but it is).
The only thing I’d do different in retrospect is order the PUPs in black instead of white. It’s fine as is (my wife especially digs the look now with the big fat white soapbars - that never hurts ;) ) but I think black would have looked even cooler. But I guess if I still feel this way 6 months from now I can always order another set and sell these. Due to the uncertain wait times when ordering new Z90s they’re a breeze to sell used should you ever want to move ‘em.
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL326/682310/2949318/94025727.jpg
Yesterday, Phil Jacoby installed my new Harmonic Design Z90s in my Reverend Rocco. He also replaced the stock 3-way switch with a 4-way to add both PUPs in series, rewired the first of the two mini-toggles (used previously as coil taps on the stock ‘buckers) as a phase switch and the second as a blower (volume and tone pot bypass). Finally, he replaced the stock pots and cap with CTS pots (500K as Petersen recommends for the Z90s) and a vintage old oil-filled 22 mfd cap leftover from some work he did on someone’s old Les Paul.
Everything works as advertised, resulting in an extremely versatile axe with an array of excellent tones to choose from. Phil was especially impressed overall with the Rocco’s resonance and playability. In his words, “One thing you have to say about that Joe Naylor is he knows what he’s doing with his guitars!”
A few more of my observations.
1. The moniker “Z90” is a misnomer. The are not, as others have stressed, voiced as true P90s but are their own beast. I’d call ‘em the ballsiest, grindiest Strat-style PUPs I’ve ever played. They have the distinct single coil flavor with extra highs and big lows and a bit more mids, too, but never so much as to overwhelm the PUPs’ flavor into ‘bucker or even P90 territory.
2. They sound great together in parallel (not all single coils do).
3. They sound fat indeed but somewhat muffled in series. However, with the blower switch engaged, the highs lost by running the PUPs in series are magically restored resulting in an excellent, alternative humbucker-like tone - very usable!
4. The PUPs sound remarkably good out of phase, though of course you lose a bunch of volume (as expected). The PUPs in parallel out of phase sound almost “quacky.” Series out of phase is a bit thicker and treblier - not as pleasing to my ear. It also isn’t nearly as much louder in series out of phase relative to both PUPs in parallel out of phase as both PUPs series in phase are to both PUPs in parallel in phase (I have no idea why this is so but it is).
The only thing I’d do different in retrospect is order the PUPs in black instead of white. It’s fine as is (my wife especially digs the look now with the big fat white soapbars - that never hurts ;) ) but I think black would have looked even cooler. But I guess if I still feel this way 6 months from now I can always order another set and sell these. Due to the uncertain wait times when ordering new Z90s they’re a breeze to sell used should you ever want to move ‘em.